Edward Davey, Secretary of State, Energy and Climate Change Speech at “Climate & Resource Security Dialogue for the 21st Century” conference, London. 22 March 2012, DECC website

The Secretary of State said,
“…I want to take this opportunity to talk a little bit about what climate security means. Because I think we face a problem of awareness and understanding. For too many people, climate security is about making sure you always have an umbrella with you. The reality, of course, is rather more serious. Climate change is about increased risk: of extreme events, of natural disasters, of changes in weather patterns. As our understanding of the climate grows, so does our understanding of what those risks might mean for our people. Around the world, governments – and militaries – are planning for climate instability. From flood defences to foreign aid, climate security is part of the policy discussion. But it’s not yet part of the public discussion. And that’s something that we have to change…”  Full speech available on the Department of Energy & Climate Change website…